Astrologaster: Cast Your Eyes O'er This Fine Game That's More Than Zodiac Filler
Inspired by real-life astrologer, occultist and herbalist Simon Forman and his casebook, the game provides a fascinating (and oft hilarious) window into late 16th-early 17th century England
Last Updated: 07.57 PM, Mar 30, 2024
If you like your entertainment immersive and interactive, we've got a series just for you. Every weekend, #TheBufferZone will bring you one game that absolutey deserves your time and attention. All of our picks can be played on a PC.
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WHEN IT COMES TO video games, there is no dearth of historical fiction, especially within the action-adventure genre. The expansive Assassin's Creed franchise to the various AAA titles set during the two World Wars, to the likes of Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2, are just a few among them.
What one does not often come across is a comedy set in Shakespeare’s London.
Enter developer Nyamyam's narrative adventure, Astrologaster.
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The year is 1592, and a plague ravages through the capital. Just when all hope seems lost, one gentleman rises to the occasion and discovers a cure. A cure, found not in lab experiments or books of science, but in the stars. For this is no ordinary doctor, but one of Astrology and Physick, Simon Forman. A man destined for greatness, surely?
Alas, up ahead lies a thorny path riddled with real doctors hell-bent on exposing him as a fraud. But Forman is determined to prove the sceptics wrong and win a medical licence. All with the help of letters of recommendations from his patients, whom he aids not only with their sicknesses, but also with personal matters, ranging from romantic affairs to societal manoeuvrings and voyages to the New World.
And what a cast of patients Elizabethan England serves up!
Eccentric socialites, entertainers of the Royal Court, foreign merchants, members of Church, stage actors, social climbers, wooers of ladies, among others — all at the good doctor's doorstep to consult the stars and seek his counsel.
Now, with astrology not being… an exact science, it is up to you, as you step into our protagonist's shoes, to deduce the movements of the stars and remedy whatever that ails your clientele. And when I say it is up to you, the game truly lets you sway the fates of your 14 patients. Your cosmic advice can turn their chaotic lives and fortunes around, or leave them fuming and devastated.
But the game is much more nuanced than whimsically answering a series of questions, like: What could be keeping Avis Allen up all night with headache and chundering? (Is she carrying a child or suffering from 'evil digestion'?) Or perhaps, how may Alice Blague win the love of the Bishop of London?
First off, Astrologaster loves its history. Inspired by real-life astrologer, occultist and herbalist Simon Forman and his casebook, the game provides a fascinating (and oft hilarious) window into late 16th-early 17th century England and its inhabitants. Besides Forman himself, the game features a number of historical figures like Emilia Lanier, Robert Devereux (the 2nd Earl of Essex) and churchman Thomas Blague. But more engrossing is how avidly the happenings of the time are woven into the storytelling.
From the aforementioned 1592-1593 London plague to the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, the Spanish treasure fleet, the Nine Years' War, the constant tussle between the Catholic and Protestant Church, the Gunpowder Plot, the literary and theatrical exploits of the Bard — for any history enthusiasts out there, the game is a bundle of joy.
Moreover, the ever-amusing cast of characters is supported by excellent voice acting that vividly brings to life the playfully crafted script and dialogues; not to mention the Renaissance-era music and sing-along theme songs for the patients.
All these elements come together in the form of a pop-up book which acts as a stage on which our story unfolds. Over the course of years, as patients return time and again, you learn not only their personal stories, but how those overlap with that of other characters. Players can use this information, along with (in a case of wicked logic) some historical knowledge, to guide their readings of the stars.
But in the end, while there is an overarching objective to the game (which you can choose to actively pursue or completely discard in favour of chaos), what makes the whole experience stand out is the freewheeling interactions and clever comedy that sweep you off your feet and drop you in the streets of London during one of the most interesting times in modern history. A testament to how history and gaming can interact in novel and engaging ways. And huzzah to that!
Available on PC, Mac, iOS, Switch | Paid | Download here.